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March 26, 2023

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There Is No Restraint To The Lord

"Come, let us go over to the garrison of these uncircumcised: it may be that the LORD will work for us: for there is no restraint to the LORD to save by many or by few." 1 Samuel 14:6

Hudson Taylor, the great pioneer missionary to inland China, said, "There are no circumstances so great that we do not need His grace, nor are there any circumstances so desperate that His grace is not all sufficient."

"God hath raised us up together and made us to sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." Have you claimed "your seat" at the Father's table? The riches of His grace are spread before you and are "yours to appropriate by faith," which He has purchased for you. God delights to magnify His strength in the weakness of His people, to intercede for them in the most devastating circumstances, and to make a way of deliverance when there is no way.

Is it not the reason "He thus waits" until we are reduced to our lowest extremities; until we get to the end of our way, our strength, our ability, our resources, and our attitude in thinking we can handle our problem? Peter said, "Cast all your anxieties upon Him, for He cares for you." It is then that His grace becomes our portion and we rest in Him. Why does it take us so long to reach that point?

Look at Jonathan's victory over the Philistines. God stirred the heart of Jonathan and his armor bearer to attack a garrison of Philistines, when nothing but utter destruction and defeat stood starkly before them. Humanly speaking, this was an impossible task, even by a considerable force.

They cast themselves upon the Lord and let Him decide what they should do, and God answered their faith. In spite of the sharp rocks they had to ascend, the hopeless task before them, exposed in open daylight to the enemy, and the mockery they endured, they realized that THE BATTLE WAS THE LORD'S!

This account of Jonathan and his armor bearer is inferior to few others, either in the unusual nature of the feat or the magnitude of the victory. God used TWO MEN, full of faith, committed unreservedly to Him, to rout a Philistine ARMY of thousands. "If God be for us, who can be against us?" The weakest of men WITH God is greater than an army of thousands of men WITHOUT Him.

What was the focus of Jonathan and his armor bearer? Was it the enemy with their thousands and all their warring weapons? NOT AT ALL. Their focus and faith were on the Mighty God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Two things encompassed Jonathan as he faced the enemy: "There is no restraint to the Lord to save, whether by many or by few," and his faith, "It may be that the Lord will work for us." Our strength is the Lord, who is the object of our faith!

In dependence upon God, we should go forth, fearing nothing, being "strong in the Lord and in the power of His might." We should gird on the armor and go forth with our sling and five stones against every enemy, not doubting, but in full faith. We shall see that like Goliath, he too shall fall before us. God has already gained the victory for us. It is ours to claim by faith. Let us "dare to believe" with unrelenting trust and see the mighty hand of God remove the mountains, part the sea, and triumph over our enemy!

© 2007 by Ed Powell. Used by permission.


This page was reprinted by permission from: http://litmin.org/dare.php?row=&date=2023-03-26


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